God's Mission Work

St. John's Outreach ministry is inspired by the principles of Micah 6:8 - "What does the Lord require, but to do justice, love kindness, and walk humbly with God?" We believe St. John’s is called to embody the love of Christ and to serve those in need in our neighborhood, in the city of Atlanta, and in the world.

To learn more

To learn more about any of the ministries listed below or to volunteer, go to the 'Contact Us' Form and reach out. You will be directed to the right person or organization.

Mission Partners

Mercy Community Church

Mercy Community Church is a small organic community church that started in 2005. It is a church on a mission, a place where people living on the margins are nurtured as God’s children with special attention paid to their emotional and spiritual needs. Our goal is to make a difference in our communities, to show through our love, rolled up sleeves, and open table. St. John's partners with Mercy Church to provide a Freeze Shelter during cold winter nights and a Wednesday night Bible Study.

Intown Collaborative Ministries

Intown Collaborative Ministries is a ministry cooperative of churches in zip codes 30306 and 30307. ﻿ICM﻿ seeks to build relationships and find permanent solutions to homelessness and hunger in our neighborhoods. St. John's actively participates in ICM's weeklyFood Pantry through food donations (as the Peanut Butter + Jelly and Pasta + Sauce church); the Food Cooperative (a monthly co-op for low-income families); and Clothing Ministry, which provides professional clothing for people moving back into the work force, and in fulfilling on-going staffing needs. In addition, the 5th Saturday of any given month is St. John's scheduled day for providing a volunteer team for the Pantry.

Refugee Services

Lutheran Services of Georgia (LSG) and Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Services (LIRS): St. John's supports LSG and LIRS by sponsoring and setting-up kitchens and bathroom for newly arriving refugee families. St. John's is also part of a pilot program called Circle of Welcome where a group of 10 SJLC members accompany one such family on their first year in the US.

Fresh Start & Hope Thru Soap

​St. John's hosts the Fresh Start Community and Hope thru Soap as they bring a shower truck ministry for our homeless neighbors along the Ponce Corridor. They provide the opportunity for those struggling with homelessness to find hope and dignity in something as simple as a meal and a shower.

ReconcilingWorks

St. John’s is a member of the Reconciling in Christ program of ReconcilingWorks, a roster of congregations in the Lutheran Church that invites gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender persons to participate fully in the life of the church. The Southeast synod chapter of RIC meets regularly at St. John’s.

Bread for the World

St. John's is a member congregation of Bread for the World, which seeks to end hunger by influencing public policy. We participate in the annual offering of letters written to Members of Congress on issues affecting domestic and international food policy and hunger.

Other Outreach Activities

Freeze Shelter

When the temperature drops below freezing, St. John’s hosts homeless neighbors on cots in our fellowship hall. In doing so we practice welcome, build community, and share experiences with our neighbors from Mercy Church.

Sandwich Sunday

On the fourth Sunday of each month, members donate bread, cheese, and meat, and then after worship make 100 sandwiches for those in our neighborhood who are hungry.

Thanksgiving Market

Each year on the Saturday prior to Thanksgiving, we hold our annual market; a day of festive welcome. We reach out to provide not only food, but also hospitality. St. John's welcomes close to 100 guests/families from the neighborhood to fill grocery bags for their own Thanksgiving feast.

Atlanta Hunger Walk

Each Spring, church members support and participate in the Atlanta Community Food Bank's annual Hunger Walk/Run. Proceeds from this event support six different metro hunger-relief organizations, including Lutheran Services of Georgia. Over the past several years, St. John's has been the top fund-raiser amongst Atlanta-area Lutheran churches. For the 2014 Walk/Run, we gave and collected over $10,000.

AIDS Walk/Run

St. John's members form a team each Fall to participate in the Atlanta Aids Walk, the Southeast's largest fundraiser for HIV/AIDS-related supportorganizations. We provide both walkers and runners, who together raise thousands of dollars for the cause.

Atlanta Pride

St. John's is a participating congregation of Georgia Lutherans Welcome You!, a group of metro Atlanta ELCA congregations that intentionally welcome people of all sexual orientations and gender identities (urwelcome.info). We participate in the annual Atlanta Pride (atlantapride.org) events including the Vendor Fair and the ever popular Pride March down Peachtree Street.

SmartLunch/SmartKid

In the summer of 2013, St. John's began participating with Action Ministries, an organization aiming to provide hunger, housing, and education solutions to those living in poverty. For their SmartLunch- SmartKid program, St. John's members assembles 100 lunches on each of three summer Sundays. These are then distributed to youth who have trouble getting nutritious meals while out of school.